For years, the Eastern Conference earned nicknames for how underwhelming some of the teams were compared to their Western Conference counterparts. But, in recent NBA seasons, the Eastern Conference has become much more competitive and is now arguably the deeper conference.
While the games on the court are hotly contested, things are heating up off the court, too. A few All-Stars have already been traded this offseason and we could see more on the move in the coming weeks. One of those players is Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets.
Durant requested a trade from the Nets right before the league’s moratorium for free agency began. Since then, reportedly half of the league has reached out to the Nets, but three teams seem to have risen above the rest.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, all three are Eastern Conference foes looking to separate themselves from their peers.
“The Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat remain among the teams in pursuit — and the Boston Celtics recently offered a package around one-time All-Star Jaylen Brown for Durant and have emerged as a real threat to acquire Durant, league sources tell The Athletic.”
The Miami Heat have reportedly been the most determined to pull off a trade for Durant. Their pursuit of him has hurdles that other teams may not face as Bam Adebayo cannot be part of the trade unless Ben Simmons is traded by the Nets. Brooklyn is not allowed to trade for a second Designated Rookie player, which Simmons and Adebayo both are.
Since the request was made, the Toronto Raptors have been mentioned as a team lurking in pursuit. They believe that they have the most competitive offer, but their negotiations are at a standstill. The Raptors have not included Scottie Barnes Jr. in any proposals and have no plans to. The reigning Rookie of the Year is who the Nets want in a deal with Toronto.
The Boston Celtics have seemingly come out of nowhere but cannot be discounted. If they are willing to include Jaylen Brown, their offer is as competitive as anyone else’s despite not having a ton of draft capital to sweeten a package.
This will certainly be something to keep an eye on for the next few weeks and months. As we get closer to training camp and the regular season, the pressure could mount and a team may increase their offer to get closer to what the Nets are seeking.
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